Disclaimer: I SO don't own Torchwood nor the fairytale Beauty and the Beast
Pairings: Ianto/Jack, Tosh/Owen, and Gwen/Rhys
Warnings: I'm about to place Torchwood characters in a fairytale setting and have my wicked way with them via imagination. I think that's a sufficient warning enough.
Plot: Everyone has a favorite childhood tale, even the people of Torchwood. So when a light from a piece of alien tech hits Ianto. He finds himself trapped in his all time favorite fairytale with a VERY familiar cast of characters.
Cast List:
Ianto Jones: Himself/Beauty (Handsome, whatever you want to call him)
Captain Jack Harkness: Himself/Beast/Prince
Gwen Cooper: Herself/ Kitchen Spirit
Doctor Owen Harper: Himself/ Physician Spirit
Doctor Martha Jones: Herself/Nursemaid Spirit
Toshiko "Tosh" Sato: Herself/ Maid Spirit
Rhys Williams: Himself/ Butler Spirit
The Doctor: Magic Mirror
Rose Tyler: The Enchantress
John Hart: Gaston
Emrys Jones (Ianto's father): Beauty's Father
Miscellaneous people
A/N: Hi! I would like to thank my two reviewers, six story alerters, and one person brave enough to me on their fav stories list.
This chapter is totally dedicated to you guys!
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"Well, some people use their imagination." –Belle Beauty and the Beast
"He (Ianto) is a decent, good man, and I'm lucky I've met him." Cpt. Jack Harkness Archive Notes
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Chapter 1
In Which Ianto Wakes Up, Reads, and Leaves Again
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A rooster crowed in the distance of a small, sleepy town by the name of Cardiff. People awoke either happily or grumpily to the blasted bird. In a small tailor shop a little off the beaten path, a young man named Ianto Jones awoke to the rooster's crow with confusion. Since when the bloody hell was there a rooster in the city? He then took his surroundings in and began to feel the fuzzy edges of panic overtake his stomach.
This…was SO not good. He softly swore in Welsh as he jumped out of the bed that was not his and took a look around the room. It was mainly wooden with a sturdy rectangular bed stuffed with straw, and an old slightly battered bureau. A couple of well loved books lay on top of a small nightstand next to the bed with candles. Ianto took a couple of deep breaths trying to gain some semblance of control over this situation.
He slowly searched for various items of clothing as his mind turned. What did he last remember happening?
A bright flash of light and his Captain calling his name…
Ianto quietly shook his head out of the memory. Alright so the piece of tech malfunctioned or someone accidentally pushed something and when (if) he got out of this they were going on decaf for a very…very long time. This strange place was either a side effect or the purpose of the tech.
He needed to find a way out of this. Ianto sighed pulling a loose blue shirt over his head.
"Ianto! I need you to go into town for me today!" a familiar voice called. Ianto felt his eyes go wide as he pulled on the boots by the door of the sparse bedroom. He peered out and saw his Tad there.
This was a whole new level of weird. His TAD was involved with this?! If his siblings were here then he would be totally royally pissed off. Still he needed to be calm mainly because his father was looking at him strangely.
Ianto gave his tad (what he hoped was) a reassuring smile before saying, "Sure Tad. What do you need me to get?"
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Meanwhile….
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Jack paced around the autopsy room as he waited for Owen to finish up his scans on Ianto.
"So? What's wrong with him?" asked Jack feeling hysterical on the inside but not letting it show.
"I still don't know yet, Jack," gritted out Owen for what felt like the thousandth time. He was seriously considering killing Jack (again) because mainly he could have five fucking minutes to think.
"But…"
"Jack if you don't leave this second. I will turn around grab the scalpel and MAKE you quiet," threatened the irritable doctor.
Silence temporarily or merely trying to figure out if Owen would make good on his threat, Jack huffed and sat down waiting. Owen smirked a little before turning back to his scans. After a few more silent minutes, Owen turned to Jack.
"Good news, okay news, or bad news? Pick a news, Harkness, any news because I have answers for all three."
"Bad news first Owen."
"Nothing is medically wrong with Ianto. I'm baffled. He's healthy in every sense. No extra limbs have grown out of him nor has he become a blob of a goo. I have no idea when he'll wake up…"
Or if. The unspoken words hung in the air thick between Owen and Jack.
"Alright then what's the good news?"
"He can wake up at anytime. He's not in a coma or anything. His brain wave patterns are showing him in a near constant state of REM sleep. Once he slips out of REM. We'll have a better chance of waking him up."
Jack quietly digested the news. Ianto was asleep…alright that was good.
"So we just need to watch his brainwaves?"
"Basically I'll have Tosh set up an alert to tell us when (if) his brain finally slips out of REM. Since you practically live here, she'll set up to your phone specifically and mine because like it or not I'm tea-boy's doctor."
"So what's the okay news?"
Owen smirked, "If I hurry I can still make my hot date tonight."
Jack stared at the doctor for a moment wondering whether or not to laugh.
"Good sex?"
"The best but she's a chit."
"Ah…can I move him to my room?"
Owen looked faintly disgusted his mind going to the most perverted thing.
"Not like that Owen! I do have a few morals!"
The doctor nodded, "You can move him after I get Tosh to set up the device."
Jack nodded and turned to leave.
"Harkness."
He looked back at the doctor.
"Tea-boy will be fine. Girly as he is…he's made of some pretty tough shit. He'll pull through."
Jack briefly wondered if the world was ending when he heard that statement. He felt a ghost of a smile because it was nice to see Owen care in his own special way.
"Let me know when that alarm is set alright, Owen? I'm gonna go to Ianto's place and get some more comfortable clothes than his suit."
Owen nodded gruffly as the Captain left. He turned looking at Ianto.
"You better wake up soon tea-boy or else. Well…we'll probably kill ourselves with crappy coffee."
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Ianto sighed as he wandered through the village. He didn't know whether to laugh or swear or just crawl into a hole and wait for this experience to end. He sighed as he continued to do the light food shopping. He could feel people stare at him though.
He never was comfortable with being center stage. He preferred to stick to the sidelines, blend into the background, and just generally watch the world go by. This is why when the opportunity of Uni presented itself Ianto choose the biggest one he could find and easily got in, this does bring up the question of why he was with Jack who always had to be center stage.
He's still not really sure where he stood with the Captain. Sure Jack came back but he still left. And it hurt a lot for him. Ianto sighed and wondered why his love life had to be so complicated.
He looked down at the list again.
Four eggs. Check.
Half a loaf of bread. Check.
Cheese. Check.
Two fish. Double check.
Return book.
Ianto sighed and looked around before spotting a small bookstore. He took the book out of the basket he had, which he felt very silly for carrying and much like a four year old girl. He quietly stepped into the old dusty store.
"Excuse me?"
"Ah Ianto! Done already?" said a happy looking old man.
Ianto nodded and decided since he was here…wherever HERE was he might as well get a book.
"Do you have anything new?"
"No. But I know of a book that you would enjoy."
The old man searched around before pulling out a leather-bound book.
"Here! Enjoy!"
Ianto quietly looked down at the title-less book before smiling and thanking the old man. He quietly hurried out of the bookstore. Now that everything on the list was done, he could mercifully go home and, hopefully, think properly.
He turned heading back the direction that home was in. When he was stopped…
"Eye candy!"
Ianto looked up into Captain John Hart's face and he could feel a major migraine come on.
"My name is Ianto."
"I knew that but I like my pet name for you much better."
"Bite me."
"With pleasure," said the man with a perverted leer.
"You get your teeth or any other body part near me. I will castrate you."
"My my my…did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?"
Ianto quietly counted backwards from ten in order to reign in the strong desire to kick John Hart in the crotch or kill him. Depending what he had at hand.
"No but I really should get back to my Tad, John. I have to help today."
John made a face.
"Now come on, eye candy. I want you. You want me."
"To fall into a pit of fire or drown. You can manage that on your own right John?"
The man looked gob smacked. Ianto sensing a golden opportunity took and ran for all he was worth back to the small cottage that apparently was his home here.
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With Jack…
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Jack finished putting on the pair of sweatpants he found for Ianto. He moved a chair over to the bed and sat there watching Ianto sleep. He took hold of the Welshman's thin, long-fingered hand into his own.
"Ianto," he whispered. He climbed into the slim bed next to Ianto. He hugged his Welshman close to him.
"Please wake up, Ianto."
He really needed him. Now all he had to do was tell Ianto that…when he was conscious.
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Ianto snuck into the tailor shop with a feeling of victory entering his body.
"Tad? I'm home!"
"Welcome home!"
Ianto quietly put the food on the kitchen table.. He turned to look at his Tad, who was busy helping a customer.
"Do you need any help, Tad?"
"No. I'm good Ianto."
"Alright," Ianto quietly wandered up to his room keeping the door open a crack. He sat down on the bed and looked at the book. He silently opened it and began to read.
A long time ago when Cardiff was still a kingdom, there was a prince. He was beloved by all his subjects but to those who knew him. He was distant and cold to them all. He kept himself shut up especially his heart. One night an old woman came to the castle asking for shelter from the storm. The prince did not wish for any visitors had his servants turn her away. She came back with an offering of a beautiful rose seemingly picked from Aphrodite's garden and asked again for shelter.
Ianto stopped reading and looked at the picture on the next page. He nearly dropped the book in shock because the drawing looked an awful lot like Jack. He stared at the picture for a moment before quickly turning to the next page.
She was turned away a second time. The old woman, who was a witch, became enraged and placed a curse on the castle and all its inhabitants. The prince, who was said to be the most handsome man in the land, transformed into a hideous beast. An enchantress, who befriended the prince, made it so that it would not be permanent. She told the beast prince that when someone loves him for as he is and he loves them back. Then and only then the curse would be broken.
Ianto turned back the page and stared at the picture.
"Ianto?"
He looked up as his Tad entered the room.
"Yes Tad?"
"I need to ask you a favor son."
"Sure, Tad. What is it?"
"I need you to go to a nearby town for me. A shipment of fabric was accidentally sent to a tailor in that town."
"Sure Tad. Let me just back some clothes and food."
"Thank you, Ianto. You're a good son."
Ianto smiled, "No problem at all, Tad."
He watched his father leave and he glanced at the book. Maybe…maybe…
Ianto smiled before grabbing a satchel and packing his bag. He had some idea where he was and what he had to do. Now he happily accepted what he must do next.
He was going to find his Captain: beast or not.
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H.N.: Come on people. I know this story is a little weird but a review would be nice.